Red Rock is a small hamlet in the northern beaches of the

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

coast beside the banks of the

Corindi River Corindi River, an open mature wave dominated barrier estuary, is located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Corindi River rises below Knobbys Lookout, in hilly country located to the west of Woolgoo ...

on the

Mid North Coast The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolg ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and is surrounded by National Parks. It is in the City of Coffs Harbour local government area. At the , Red Rock had a population of 303 people. The small Red Rock River passes near the town.

Tourism

Red Rock is primarily a holiday village. Most of the residencies remain vacant throughout majority of the year - except during the school holidays, where you will need to book though the camping ground typically years in advance to secure a site. There is a lifesaving club, community centre, bowling club, a general store and caravan park located within the village. The area has lovely beaches and the river is also good for swimming, kayaking and snorkeling. The southern beach can be dangerous and isn't recommended for children, but it provides excellent fishing and great shorebreak barrels which have been mastered by the local bodyboard surfers. It is easy to cross the estuary and explore the National Park to the north.

History

The area, on

Gumbaynggirr The Gumbaynggirr people, also rendered Kumbainggar, Gumbangeri and other variant spellings, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Gumbathagang was a probable clan or sub-group. The traditional lands of th ...

traditional lands, was first colonised in the 19th century when farmers established themselves at what is now Corindi Beach. The headland is the site of a massacre of the Gumbaynngir

indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

in the mid 19th century. A memorial has been erected at the base of the headland to commemorate this. The massacre began at Blackadders Creek when mounted police entered the camp. They started shooting and then pursued the survivors to the Corindi River where they continued shooting. Some people were then driven off the headland. The headland is named Red Rock because the rocks contain the rock jasper, an opaque silica.

Notes and references

http://ozgeotours.yolasite.com/red-rock.php Towns in New South Wales Northern Rivers City of Coffs Harbour {{NorthernRivers-geo-stub